UPDATE on file numbering

[Shootist]

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Since I am now a 2 M8 owner I fall into the same perdicament as other users that have 2 M8's. Which image was taken by which camera and file numbers being the same.

I set out to change the image numbering on my black M8 so it would be B100xxxx but couldn't get the camera to see the image after I changed the L100xxxx to B100xxxx, the B for the black M8 (I was also going to change my chrome to C). I got the "No valid Image to Play" on the LCD. So I then tried to change it to L200xxxx and that also didn't take. When I'd put the card back in the camera after renaming the image and hit the Play button again I got "No valid Image to Play".

 

So then I looked at the directory/folder structure on the card when in a card reader. It is Drive Letter:\DCIM\100LEICA\. So I changed the 100LEICA directory to 200LEICA and then renamed the image file name to L200xxxx and then when I reinserted the card in the camera and hit play the image came up and I was good to go.

 

I'd still like to change the first letter to B for the black M8 and C for the chrome M8.

I think that if you change that folder, 100LEICA to 100BLACK, or CHROM, that might allow you to change the first letter of the image name. I'm going to give it a try once I have sorted this M8 out for a day or two.

 

This would make using 2 M8's a lot simpler.

 

Below are the steps you need to take to do all this. It was posted by someone else, don't remember who, and updated by me.

 

Here is a procedure that will allow you change to anything you want:

 

1. Set the Picture Number in the menu to "Standard".

2. Format the SD card in camera.

3. Reset the File Number in the menu. It actually says “Reset fold. No", that is the one you want.

4. Set Picture Number back to "Continuous"

5. Take one image

6. Shut off camera, remove SD card and place in card reader attached to a computer.

7. Access the image in your Finder or Explorer (Mac or PC); rename the image number to whatever file number/image number you want. I would suggest Lyyyxxxx, with "y" being your preferred folder number (See Note Below) and "x" being the frame number you want to start with. (You are making these changes to the file name on the card in the card reader.)

 

NOTE

If you want to change the first or second digit of the L100 (Lyyy above) in the file name, like to L200 or 120 or 220 or whatever, then you have to change the folder name also.

The directory/folder structure on the card when in a card reader is Drive Letter:\DCIM\100LEICA\. You need to change the 100LEICA to whatever you want the file number to start with. Like if you want it to be L200xxxx then you need to rename that folder to 200LEICA. If you want L120 then you need to change that folder name to 120LEICA. It would look like this [drive letter]:\DCIM\120 or 200LEICA.

 

8. Properly remove card from card reader and return to the camera.

9. Turn the camera on and press "Play", file will now display with newly renamed folder and file number. (Use "Info" to see this data.)

10. Expose another image to confirm and check file numbers.

11. Format SD card, and you are good to go from that point on.

 

I will update this again if I'm successful in renaming it with a B and C for black and chrome.

[jonoslack]

Hi Ed

I've found a simpler way to do this (I think)

Reformat the card in the camera

put the card in the computer, and change the folder name to

e.g. 306LEICA

shoot a shot, and your next photo will be L3060001.dng

 

and you're good to go - simple as that.

 

I've decided that having a date in the filename is also useful, so, one of my M8's is called '3' (the silver one) and the other is called '5' (the black one). at the end of each month I'm changing the month, (so 306LEICA represents June on the silver one, 510LEICA will be October on the black one).

Next year I'll change the first digit for each camera.

 

I tend to keep different cards for each camera (Blue Lexar for the silver and Black Sandisk for the Black), but it isn't necessary, as long as you format a card each time you put it in the camera.

[jonoslack]

P.S.

the only real rule is that the folder must be in the format

xxxLEICA where xxx is the number of your choice.

the files will then be called Lxxx0001 up to Lxxx9999.

[Shootist]

P.S.

the only real rule is that the folder must be in the format

xxxLEICA where xxx is the number of your choice.

the files will then be called Lxxx0001 up to Lxxx9999.

 

So you have tried changing the "LEICA" in xxxLEICA to something else and it has not worked?

[jonoslack]

So you have tried changing the "LEICA" in xxxLEICA to something else and it has not worked?

HI

Yes, but it doesn't work - there isn't any point anyway, as it won't change the file name.

The point is that you can change the format very easily without needing to fiddle with files, and after you've done it successfully, it 'sticks' okay.